SCREEN-L Archives

February 2005, Week 4

SCREEN-L@LISTSERV.UA.EDU

Options: Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Richard Paradise <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Film and TV Studies Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 23 Feb 2005 22:55:33 -0500
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (80 lines)
Leo,

I believe "affects" is correct.

First, one of the meanings of "affect" in my dictionary is: "to put 
on a pretense of", which fits the context.

Second, consider the derivative word: affectation. "the act of taking 
on or displaying an attitude or mode of behavior not natural to 
oneself or not genuinely felt" or "artificiality".

The publishing industry generally goes by the definitions given in 
Websters, which I used above. So the difference between your friend's 
choice of word and his editor's might be which dictionary they are 
each using.

Hope this helps.




>>
>>>Status:  U
>>>Approved-By: [log in to unmask]
>>>Date:         Wed, 23 Feb 2005 19:52:05 +0000
>>>Reply-To:     Film and TV Studies Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
>>>Sender:       Film and TV Studies Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
>>>From:         Leo Enticknap <[log in to unmask]>
>>>Subject: [SCREEN-L] Quotation from screenplay of 'The Big Sleep'
>>>To:           [log in to unmask]
>>>X-AntiAbuse: This header was added to track abuse, please include 
>>>it with any abuse report
>>>X-AntiAbuse: Primary Hostname - server1.goffgrafix.com
>>>X-AntiAbuse: Original Domain - mvfilmsociety.com
>>>X-AntiAbuse: Originator/Caller UID/GID - [47 12] / [47 12]
>>>X-AntiAbuse: Sender Address Domain - BAMA.UA.EDU
>>>X-Source:
>>>X-Source-Args:
>>>X-Source-Dir:
>>>X-ELNK-AV: 0
>>>
>>>Apologies for cross-posting.
>>>
>>>This might sound like a bizarre question, but I'm trying to 
>>>establish the correct form of a quotation from the screenplay of 
>>>'The Big Sleep': specifically the line in which Dorothy Malone 
>>>describes the organised crime boss whose front is an antique shop 
>>>as someone '...who effects a knowledge of antiques but hasn't 
>>>any.' Question: should it be 'effect' or 'affect'?  I always 
>>>thought the former, i.e. 'effect' as a verb meaning (to quote the 
>>>Chambers Dictionary definition) to accomplish or bring something 
>>>about.  I'm using this quotation in a book which is now in the 
>>>final editing stage.  Not only have I used the quotation, but in 
>>>the title of a chapter as well - so needless to say, I'd like to 
>>>get it right!  One of the external readers has corrected the verb 
>>>to 'affects'.  To my mind this seems wrong: 'affect' means to 
>>>change something which already exists, whereas the verb in this 
>>>quote is being used to describe the creation of an effect which 
>>>did not previously exist (and, subtly, to point out that the 
>>>resulting effect [noun] is a false and misleading one).
>>>
>>>I know that this sounds like a terribly niggly little point, but 
>>>can anyone settle this definitively?  I'd hate to have to change 
>>>the title of my chapter this late in the day!
>>>
>>>Many thanks in advance
>>>Leo
>>>
>>>Leo Enticknap
>>>Northern Region Film & Television Archive
>>>Middlesbrough, UK
>>>www.nrfta.org.uk
>>>----
>>>For past messages, visit the Screen-L Archives:
>>>http://bama.ua.edu/archives/screen-l.html

----
For past messages, visit the Screen-L Archives:
http://bama.ua.edu/archives/screen-l.html

ATOM RSS1 RSS2